York College International Relations grad working her dream job in England

June 18, 2018

A very young Lindsey Murtha sat at a table, drawing. The casual observer may have mistaken the scene as a fifth-grade girl coloring on a piece of paper. To the young artist, however, it was something much more: Lindsey was drawing her future.

“Living in England was something I had always planned on,” says the 2016 York College of Pennsylvania graduate. “I still have that picture showing me moving to London.”

Today, Lindsey is living and working in Manchester, England.

“Close enough,” she chuckles.

After graduating from York College, Lindsey’s dream began to take shape when Jordan Sheppard Consultancy in Manchester hired her as a Business Consultant.

“I grew up in Germany, so International Relations was always something I was passionate about,” she says.

Living the dream

When Lindsey learned about the overseas job opportunity, she applied online and almost immediately received an interview offer.

“As it turns out,” she says, “my now-boss and I had the same major, same minor, and we wrote our dissertations on the same topic.”

She went on the interview, got the job, and is happy with her role as a consultant with Jordan Sheppard.

“I help advise companies on executive-level placements, mergers, and business intelligence,” she explains.

Lindsey studied abroad in 2014, at the University of Manchester, but admits there were a few nerves when she made the big move devoting herself to living and to working there.

“I was nervous as you would expect,” she says, “but I knew I was going to a city I loved. It was a big life change, but I knew it was a positive one.”

International preparations

While at York College, one of the courses Lindsey enjoyed most was International Organizations. She says that experience benefited her in multiple ways.

“The course was structured around a model UN Conference in NYC,” she explains. “Our class represented a different country each year. Along with course curriculum, we traveled to New York to participate in a hands-on UN simulation event with students from around the world.”

Lindsey feels experiences like that, as well as the lessons and friends she made there, were invaluable – as was her time in the York College Student Senate.

“I learned so much about myself,” she says. “The activities I took part in, including meetings with school administration, leadership conferences, event planning, and committee management, taught me so many things that I’ve used along the way.”

Beans on toast

Culturally, life overseas can be quite different from a typical day here in the U.S. Some of those English differences caught Lindsey by surprise.

“They eat baked beans on toast for breakfast,” she says. “But, I tried it and loved it! It’s now a staple for me.”

Lindsey has found that some of the British stereotypes are “spot on.”

“Tea really is a social tradition, a nicety, and should always be offered to guests,” she says. “And tea with milk is actually quite nice.”

Overall, Lindsey feels more at home with the English culture.

“I enjoy the nuances of British life, such as my daily tea or taking the train to work every day — and believe it or not: I even enjoy the rainy weather!”

Down the road

Lindsey says in five to 10 years, she hopes to still be in the U.K.

“I want to work for a U.K. university in its International Relations department, assisting with international students and planning international orientation,” she says.

She discovered that as a passion of hers while at York College, working as an Orientation Leader and Coordinator.

“I hope to use my experience to one day help those international students in the same shoes I was in just two years ago,” says Lindsey.

It’s a wonderful life-changer

Lindsey feels she wouldn’t be sitting in Manchester, actively employed and loving what she does if it weren’t for the support of the faculty and staff at York College.

“My professors — Mary Boldt, Javier Aguayo, and Craig Ilgenfritz — and the college administration have all mentored me and shaped me into the person I am today,” she says.

The experience of studying abroad also had a major impact.

“It was life-changing for me,” Lindsey says. “I encourage anyone who has even thought about studying abroad to seriously consider it.”